There has been in recent years a substantial rise in the number of new businesses in light manufacturing or the like. These businesses may comprise relatively few employees up to the order of one hundred.
To accomodate this type of business, the construction industry have built a substantial number of units of an appropriate size. Characteristically, these units will comprise a front office area and a huge open space with high ceilings. Equally characteristic is that the open space will have at one end, or perhaps at both ends, an oversize overhead door.
In most of these units there is no air-conditioning apparatus for cooling of the area; and in some there may be no apparatus for heating of the area. In those instances the tenants have no alternative except to install appropriate air conditioning apparatus.
The occupancy expectancy of the tenants of this type of structure is very short. They either go out of business or if successful, expand beyond the facilities occupied.
A tenant is confronted with installing a unit of many thousands of dollars and at a sizeable installation cost. However, if the tenant vacates the premises he has lost his investment cost; the air conditioner has become a permanent part of the real estate and legally cannot be moved. Alternatively, if the air conditioner could be removed from the premises, the cost of removal would approach the value of the apparatus. In either instance, the tenant has lost his investment.